Career and Education Opportunities for Paralegals in Cleveland, Ohio

Paralegals can find both educational opportunities and jobs in the Cleveland, Ohio area. About 1,150 people are currently employed as paralegals in Ohio. By 2016, this is expected to shrink 3% to about 1,120 people employed. This is not quite as good as the national trend for paralegals, which sees this job pool growing by about 13.9% over the next eight years. Paralegals generally assist lawyers or judges by researching or preparing legal documents.

Paralegals earn approximately $14 hourly or $30,420 annually on average in Ohio. Nationally they average about $17 hourly or $37,130 yearly. Compared with people working in the overall category of Representation, people working as paralegals in Ohio earn less. They earn less than people working in the overall category of Representation nationally. Jobs in this field include: closing agent, attorney law clerk, and legal clerk.

The Cleveland area is home to 103 schools of higher education, including three within twenty-five miles of Cleveland where you can get a degree as a paralegal. Paralegals usually hold an Associate's, or other 2-year degree, so you can expect to spend about two years studying to be a paralegal if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Paralegal

In general, paralegals assist lawyers or judges by researching or preparing legal documents. They also may meet with clients or assist lawyers and judges in court.

Every day, paralegals are expected to be able to see details at a very fine level of focus. They need to listen to and understand others in meetings. It is also important that they read and understand documents and reports.

It is important for paralegals to ready real estate closing statements and help in closing process. They are often called upon to search for and study legal documents to investigate facts and law of cases, to establish causes of action and to ready cases. They also inspect and file pleadings, petitions and other documents relevant to court actions. They are sometimes expected to ready affidavits of documents and maintain document files and case correspondence. Somewhat less frequently, paralegals are also expected to serve copies of pleas to opposing counsel.

Paralegals sometimes are asked to store and maintain currency of legal volumes. And finally, they sometimes have to research and analyze law sources to ready drafts of briefs or arguments for review and use by attorney.

Like many other jobs, paralegals must be able to absorb the factors involved and a problem and provide a well thought out solution and be thorough and dependable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Cleveland include:

Lawyer. Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, and manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.

Legal Assistant. Assist lawyers by researching legal precedent, investigating facts, or preparing legal documents. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action.

Title Examiner. Search real estate records, examine titles, or summarize pertinent legal or insurance details for a variety of purposes. May compile lists of mortgages, contracts, and other instruments pertaining to titles by searching public and private records for law firms, real estate agencies, or title insurance companies.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Paralegal Training

University of Akron Main Campus - Akron, OH

University of Akron Main Campus, 302 Buchtel Common, Akron, OH 44325-4702. University of Akron Main Campus is a large university located in Akron, Ohio. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 24,202 students. University of Akron Main Campus has a professional degree and a professional certificate program in Law which graduated 152 and twelve students respectively in 2008.

Case Western Reserve University - Cleveland, OH

Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106. Case Western Reserve University is a medium sized university located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 9,814 students and an admission rate of 73%. Case Western Reserve University has a professional degree program in Law which graduated 214 students in 2008.

Cleveland State University - Cleveland, OH

Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-2214. Cleveland State University is a large university located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 15,010 students and an admission rate of 74%. Cleveland State University has a professional degree and a professional certificate program in Law which graduated 198 and one students respectively in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio photo by FlickreviewR

Cleveland is situated in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. It has a population of over 433,748, which has shrunk by 9.3% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Cleveland, 81, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Cleveland are valued at $94,100 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, one hundred nine new homes were built in Cleveland, down from one hundred eighty-four the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Cleveland are health care, accommodation and food services, and educational services. For men, it is metal and metal products, construction, and accommodation and food services. The average travel time to work is about 26 minutes. More than 11.4% of Cleveland residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 3.8%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Cleveland is 10.5%, which is greater than Ohio's average of 10.0%.

The percentage of Cleveland residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 57.8%, is more than both the national and state average. Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, Abyssinia Baptist Church and Highland Christian Church are among the churches located in Cleveland. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the United Methodist Church and the American Baptist Churches in the USA.

Cleveland is home to the Mastick Woods Golf Course and the Dock Number 32 as well as Shaker Square Historic District and Newton Avenue Historic District. Shopping malls in the area include Shaker-Moreland Shopping Center, Shaker Square Shopping Center and Clark West 30th Shopping Center. Visitors to Cleveland can choose from Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland Gateway, Airport Sheraton and Extended Stayamerica for temporary stays in the area.